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How to Find and Open Office Home & Student 2021 Apps on Windows
Question details
The user has successfully purchased and installed Office Home & Student 2021 but is unable to locate or launch applications like Word and Excel from the desktop or Windows Start search.
- Product
- Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Accessing newly installed Office applications on a Windows PC.
- Observed behavior
- The installed Office applications (such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) do not automatically appear on the desktop and cannot be easily found via the Start search initially, preventing the user from opening them.
Ensure that your Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021 installation process has completely finished without any interruption or error messages.
Search and Pin Office Apps to the Taskbar or Start Menu
The fastest way to access your Office apps is to manually search for them and create permanent shortcuts on your taskbar or Start menu.
By default, newer versions of Microsoft Office may not automatically place shortcut icons on your desktop. You will need to manually locate them and pin them to your preferred location for easy access.
Click the search icon or the search box located on your Windows taskbar.
Type the name of the application you want to open, such as 'Word', 'Excel', or 'PowerPoint', into the search field.
Right-click the application name in the search results and select 'Pin to taskbar' or 'Pin to Start' from the context menu.
Perform these exact same search and pinning steps for all other Office Home & Student 2021 applications you frequently use.
Locate Office Apps via the Start Menu All Apps List
If Windows search does not bring up the apps immediately, you can manually scroll through your complete list of installed programs.
Use WPS Office as a Free, Easy-to-Find Alternative
If you struggle with Microsoft Office installations or missing shortcuts, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, all-in-one suite that is easy to install, puts all your tools in one highly accessible workspace, and is completely free to use.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installation package for Windows.
- 2. Install the Suite: Run the installer. WPS Office will automatically place a unified shortcut directly on your desktop.
- 3. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Office from the desktop shortcut to immediately access Writer, Spreadsheet, and Presentation tools in a single unified window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my Office 2021 apps not showing on the desktop after installation?
By default, modern Microsoft Office installations do not automatically create desktop shortcuts. You must search for the applications in the Windows Start menu and manually pin them to your taskbar or send a shortcut to the desktop.
How can I create a desktop shortcut for Word and Excel?
Search for 'Word' or 'Excel' in the Windows search bar, right-click the app, and select 'Open file location'. In the File Explorer window that opens, right-click the application shortcut and choose 'Send to' followed by 'Desktop (create shortcut)'.
What should I do if Windows search cannot find my installed Office apps?
If Windows search indexing is delayed, newly installed apps might not appear immediately. Try restarting your computer, or navigate directly to 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16' in File Explorer to verify if the application executables (like WINWORD.EXE) are present.
